Trucy Wright: Ace Magician
by ace-prosecutor
Summary: Trucy is about to reveal her new act to all her friends. If things go well, this could be her ticket to stardom! Nothing could possibly go wrong... right? (Note: Takes place after Turnabout Christmas, and based off unnecessary dialogue in Dual Destinies... Also mention to events that take place in "The Matchmaking Mishap" by Feriku. Full summary in Ch.1)
1. Show Time

Author's Note: The following story is based off of an unnecessary press you can make during Fulbright's testimony in Turnabout for Tomorrow. For those of you who missed it, here's the dialogue to know what's going on:

Fulbright: "Because he was using it to hide someone inside. That's why."

Phoenix: HOLD IT! And how do you propose he hid a person inside one of those cases?!

Edgeworth: Hmph. Have you forgotten that we saw just such a thing only the other day? At your own daughter's magic show, she fit a grown person into a small box.

Phoenix: Oh, yeah… (Way to ruin the memory of a good day!)

Judge: A magic show! I wish you would have thought to invite me…!

Fulbright: Actually, I would've liked to go too!

Phoenix: Uh, m-my apologies. I'll invite you both next time. I promise.

This exchange left quite an impression on me and after searching for something to write about, this just popped into my head for some reason and I kinda just wrote around that. Also, this takes place after my previous story, Turnabout Christmas, so if there are any references you don't know, that's why…. Oh, and the only official pairing from the outset is "Blackwoods," based on, what I believe to be, the first and only successful shipping of Blackquill and Juniper from Feriku's "The Matchmaking Mishap" (which is amazing by the way, if you haven't read that already, you should!). Anyway, hope you all enjoy it!

#

"Are you two ready yet?"

"Just about done, Mr. Wright!" Apollo shouted from his desk, scrambling to put the last of his things away, "Man I can't wait to see Trucy up on stage tonight."

"You're making it sound as though you've never seen Trucy on stage," Athena laughed.

"Oh common, today's different and you know it!" Apollo countered. He was right. Today, Trucy was unveiling her new show down at the Wonder Bar. Ever since she received the rights to use Magnifi's tricks in her own performance, she's been practicing non-stop. If everything goes off without a hitch, she may even be asked to hold her next show over at the Sunshine Coliseum. "Finished!" Apollo shouted, "Alright, let's go!"

#

It didn't take the three very long to reach the Wonder Bar by taxi. Once they entered the establishment, they were immediately greeted by a few familiar faces, "It's about time you made it here, Wright. Wouldn't want you to be late for own daughter's performance." Edgeworth said with a grin.

"Me late? Never," Phoenix smiled back, "Gumshoe, Maggey. Glad you could make it!"

"Yeah right pal. I'd never miss one of Trucy's magic shows." Gumshoe chuckled.

"He's right pal," Maggey added, "especially one that'll be resurrecting Magnifi Gramarye's signature acts!"

"I didn't know that you were a fan of Troupe Gramarye, Maggey."

"Of course! I was a huge fan back in the day. I was so sad when the Troupe broke up, but to see their spirit live on in your daughter…. It makes me proud to be you're friend, Mr. Wright!" She exclaimed saluting him. Her conclusion was unexpected to say the least, Phoenix thought to himself. Just as he realized that she may or may not have intentionally stated that the only reason she found it worth being his friend was because of Trucy, he heard another very familiar voice from behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Wright. There you are."

"Y-Your Honor!? What are you doing here?" Phoenix exclaimed in complete surprise. He was one of the last people he expected to come, but what was perhaps even more startling was the fact that, for some reason, he was still in his judge's attire, gavel and all.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for inviting me before the show started," the judge stated completely oblivious to Phoenix's shock. It was then that Phoenix recalled Athena's trial in the utterly destroyed Courtroom No. 4 and how he promised that he would invite him for his daughter's next performance.

He felt bad that he completely forgot to do so, but that made him beg the question, "How did you know that Trucy's show was tonight, Your Honor?"

"Why, it was Mr. Edgeworth who let me know, of course. You should know Mr. Wright. You _were_ the one who told him to pass on the information to me…. And I thought I was the only one who was beginning to lose his memory."

Phoenix scratched the back of his head grinning, glad that the Judge was just as unaware as always, "Oh, yeah right. It's a good thing Edgeworth remembered to do that, hahaha" Phoenix added. _I need to remember to thank Edgeworth for the save later_, he thought to himself after seeing Edgeworth's stone-cold glare aimed at his direction.

"Is that your family over their Your Honor?" Apollo asked pointing to the woman who looked about the same age as the Judge and two kids about the ages of 9 and 10.

"Why, yes they are," the Judge said in astonishment, "Your eyes are as good as ever Mr. Justice." Apollo smiled obviously letting the compliment go to his head, "Oh, and there's no need for us to all be so formal. Please, feel free to call me Judge," he said casually as he patted his gavel into his hand. _Not formal, huh? Yeah, right_, Phoenix thought to himself upon hearing that last remark.

"Hey Ema, Prosecutor Gavin! I see Trucy invited you two as well?" Apollo said as they walked in.

"Ja, Herr Forehead. I would not dream of missing the young Fräulein's performance. I owe her much more than seeing her show after having to sadly cancel my gig last Christmas. Though I hear I was covered, was I not chief?"

Embarrassing memories of the Wright Anything Agency's Christmas party and the Steel Samurai began to surface in Edgeworth's mind as Ema immediately began to burst out laughing. "I thought we were never going to speak of that ever again," Edgeworth frowned at them.

"I-I'm sorry Mr. Edgeworth," Ema said trying to calm herself down, "But you've got to admit, the whole thing was pretty hilarious."

"I admit nothing of the sort," Edgeworth said folding his arms, starting to lose his patience.

"Hmm? What's this? Something funny happen during Christmas," the Judge asked, clearly intrigued.

"Yeah pal? What's this show everyone's talking about? Maggey and I arrived late." Gumshoe added also feeling left out.

"Well, it's a really funny story," Ema began, "You see, Edgeworth, his friend Larry, Apollo, and I-"

"Oh look, I do believe the show is starting," Edgeworth said cutting them off. Sure enough the lights began to dim and everyone began to find a place to sit. _You lucked out on this one_, Phoenix thought to himself.

"I'll tell you all later," Ema stated as they began to walk to the nearest table. The Judge unwillingly returned to his family, still wanting to hear what happened.

As they all sat down, Athena looked around and noticed that three people didn't show up. She knew where two were, but she wondered where the third was, "Hey, that's odd, I thought that Jinxie would be here. She's one of Trucy's best friends after all," she whispered to Apollo.

"Trucy said that tonight was a really important match for The Great Nine-tails. She felt bad for making Jinxie choose between her and her dad, so she didn't tell her about tonight," he whispered back, he also noticed the other two who weren't there. He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he wanted to make sure anyway, "Hey, where's Prosecutor Blackquill? I thought we invited him to come along too?" He asked casually.

"Oh, he and Juniper went out on a date tonight," she said glancing at him cautiously. She saw him mouth the words _I thought so_ as he looked away. It was only a week since the two of them started to go out, but she realized that Apollo wasn't completely over it. He felt guilty for not realizing that Juniper had a huge crush on him, and, though he was glad that she was happy with Simon, he still couldn't help but wonder what if he asked her first. They both tried to push these thoughts out of their head as the curtain began to rise.


	2. Act 1

The curtains rose and smoke filled the stage giving a very mysterious atmosphere. A drumroll began softly, and before their very eyes, Trucy emerged as if out of thin air. What really happened, based on how she appeared, was that she was simply hiding behind her cape, virtually making a giant handkerchief matching the back curtain, but the fact that it was such a simple trick was completely overlooked by how shocked everyone was at how seamless her arrival was. Trucy bowed as the applause flooded the Wonder Bar, but it stopped as soon as she raised her hand. She had a face of seriousness that they've never really seen before as she began her act.

The drummer kept a steady beat as Trucy strode across the stage, once she stopped, a drumroll began. She focused on her hands as if summoning all her magical energy and with a flick of a wrist, a dove appeared. The crowd applauded and she released it for the top of the stage out of sight. She continued just as before, but this time she got of stage and began to walk through the crowd. She stopped when she reached the Judge's table giving one of her mystical hand waves to another drumroll. She reached for his ear and pulled out a huge line of handkerchiefs. The Judge sat mortified as he stared at the huge ball of cloth that emerged from his head; Trucy placed it in his hand, gave him a wink, and moved on.

She approached their table and set her sights on Apollo. He feared for the worst as she began to wave her hands again all around him. Once the drumroll began to reach its climax she slowly began to raise her hands and Apollo began to rise from his table. He let out a scream as he slowly levitated a good five feet above everyone else, and they all stared completely shocked at the jump in performance. All of her previous tricks, though impressive to look at, were fairly simple. _She had to have attached some invisible wire around Apollo when she was waving her hands_, Phoenix thought, but that still didn't take away from the expert execution of the illusion, not to mention the amount of effort and planning it would have taken just to set up this one trick in the first place.

The crowd applauded louder than ever as Apollo was slowly lowered back down to his seat. He let out a sigh of relief as Athena gave him a reassuring nudge as if to say good job. The applause continued as Trucy returned to the stage and raised her hands a second time, "Thank you all for coming. For this next trick, I'll require a volunteer," she announced looking straight at Phoenix. He tried not to think of the consequences if he didn't comply as he slowly raised his hand in defeat. "Yes, your sir! Please come up!" Phoenix let out sigh as he slowly trudged up the steps to the stage. "Thank very much sir," Trucy smiled as a stage hand rolled in a fairly small box. He opened the lid "If you'll please sit in hear," she said pointing to it. Phoenix couldn't refuse as he sat down in the wooden box. Trucy walked up behind him and pushed him into a hunched position so she could get the box covered. She removed her cape and draped over the box, "Now on the count of three, I will make this box disappear before your very eyes," she said dramatically. She waved her hands over the box, "One. Two. Three!" She shouted as she pulled back her cape revealing that the box had effectively disappeared from the stage.

Again, the trick was impressive, but the implications behind the trick were even more astonishing. To their knowledge, the Wonder Bar didn't previously have any trap doors on stage, so what happened to Phoenix exactly? Trucy waited for the applause to die down again, "Thank you, for this next I ask for one man and one woman from the audience!"

Athena turned to Apollo, "Common Apollo, let's do this one!" She said clearly excited.

Apollo hadn't even thought of volunteering for one of Trucy's tricks; that was always Mr. Wright's job. The more he thought about it, though, the more he wanted see the tricks performed up close, "Alright," he said as they both raised their hand.

Trucy beamed to see them volunteer for her act and practically shouted, "Great, please come on up you two!" Apollo and Athena didn't waste any time getting up on stage. This time the stage hand brought in another box that was just a little taller than the two of them. It was all black and had several white dots that looked like stars scattered across it. Trucy opened the box and motioned for them to enter. Apollo went in first, but to his surprise the box was extremely narrow. He turned around once he reached the back just as Athena walked in and they practically collided with each other. Trucy closed the door to the box as soon as Athena stepped in, and they soon realized just how tight a fit the box really was. Athena was pressed up against Apollo's chest, and when she looked up, she saw how close their faces to each other. They stared straight into each other's eyes for a brief moment until embarrassment got the better of them and they both turned away. Athena quickly pulled her hands off of Apollo's vest after realizing that she kept them there for far too long, and Apollo, whose hands were up already in the air out of surprise respectfully put his hands behind his back. It was clear that both of them were blushing, despite the fact that it wasn't very bright inside the box, but this caused them to realize something: How were they able to see in the first place? Surrounding the box were several small slits that let in just a small amount of light. It was just as they noticed this that they heard Trucy say softly from the other side of the box, "Make sure you guys don't move and you'll be fine." Neither of them knew what she meant by this, but soon after a long sharp blade flew right across Apollo's face between two of the slits.

It took him a second to register what had happened, and he immediately began to tense up. The sword was quickly followed by two more that ran between their legs and past both their left arms. Apollo let out what sounded like a tiny squeak when the next sword flew past the two spikes of his hair. Beads of sweat began to run down their faces as a gale of swords continued to sweep past them in every which way. Athena was getting more and more nervous with each sword that pierced the box, and just when she felt like she was going to fall into the pit of despair, she felt something touch her hand. It didn't feel like a sword; rather, it was warm, soft, and comforting. She looked down and she saw it was Apollo's hand grasping her. She looked up at him and she saw a face of reassurance, a face that told her that everything was going to be alright. The swords finally stopped, and one by one they were each removed. When she pulled out the last one, Trucy finally opened the box. The two, completely drained from their little ordeal, trudged back to their seats.

Edgeworth gave the two lawyers a concerned look. It was then that he noticed that Wright hadn't returned to his seat yet either. Everyone, worried about what the little magician had in store next, knew that this was going to be a long night….


	3. Intermission

As soon Apollo and Athena return to their seats Trucy continued her act. "Thank you," she said bowing to the overwhelming applause. "This next trick is one of Magnifi Gramarye's signature tricks and is especially dangerous. Though it should go without saying for all of these tricks, please do not attempt what you are about to see at home," while she was giving this announcement to the crowd two stage hands pushed a rather large tank of water from stage right, and another pushed in a little stair case from stage left. The tank was brought at center stage and the stairs were placed directly behind it. They locked the wheels to both in place and quickly went off stage to fetch the rest of props. The group sat on edge, hoping that Trucy wasn't going to do what they all suspected she might do next. "The world record for holding one's breath is a little over 22 minutes, but most people can only hold their breath for only 30 seconds," she added, "I myself have had no previous training for extending the length of time I can last underwater, so that'll be the time limit for this trick." Once she said this the three stage hands returned bringing back some sort of jacket and a chain. Trucy handed her top hat and cape to the empty handed one and the other two began to place Trucy in the jacket as she continued to explain, "For this next trick, I will be placed inside this straightjacket with a lock and chain bound around me, and I will have to escape before I run out of air." Once they finished putting the jacket on as well as the chains they walked her up stairs. She nodded and they lowered her slowly in the water keeping her head just above the water. Athena could hear her tell them to let go on the count of three, and once the countdown was over, she took a deep breath and they dropped her in.

Apollo practically gasped as soon as her head dropped beneath the water. Everyone was just as surprised and worried as he was, but they knew deep down that this was all an act and that Trucy should come out alright. Trucy didn't waste any time with the trick. The straightjacket was one size too large for her, but it didn't appear that way when they placed it _over_ her stage outfit. Once she was able to wiggle her arms to her front she had to hurry and take out the key she kept under her sleeve. With her arms now free, she was able to unzip the jacket, unlocked the chains and swam back up to the top to the tank. It was obvious that the stunt wasn't easy, and she took slightly longer than expected gasping for air when she rose back to the top. The crowd went nuts over her performance, but the group just let out sighs of relief that they didn't have to dive in after her. She climbed back down the stairs dripping wet. Thankfully a stage hand was waiting for her at the bottom with a towel he draped over her, "Thank you so much," she said smiling to the grand applause from the audience, "There'll be a short ten minute intermission, while I set up the second half of my act."

The curtains closed and the lights brightened back to their original setting. No one knew what to say, so they just sat in silence for a moment. It was Apollo who spoke first, "If that was only the first half of her act, I think I'll have a heart attack watching the second."

"What is she thinking," Athena said, practically shaking "These tricks are so dangerous."

"True, but remember, the Gramaryes were particularly well known for their high risk performances," Edgeworth countered, "I do happen to recall a certain trial not too long ago that uncovered a certain accident regarding Troupe Gramarye.

Apollo instantly knew what he was talking about: A certain case he handled his first year as a defense attorney. Vera Misham was the defendant and his previous boss, Kristoph Gavin, was the culprit. Mr. Wright had given Apollo all the evidence he needed to prove his case, and many of the things he uncovered, such as the incident involving the members of Troupe Gramarye occurred. Thalassa Gramarye was shot by a stray bullet during a trick between her husband Zak and Valant involving prop guns, if those kinds of tricks were what Magnifi left Trucy…. "We need to stop the show!" Apollo shouted, "These stunts that Trucy inherited are too dangerous, if she keeps this up, who knows what'll…" he couldn't continue this train of thought.

"I agree with Herr Forehead," Klaiver said, "But I think that we should give the little Fräulein the benefit of the doubt with this show, Ja? We are all here, and if anything should happen, we can take action. Let's talk to her after the show and see if we can convince her then."

He was right, with all of them there, Trucy shouldn't be in any life threating danger. But would they be able to convince her? Apollo thought back to all the light hearted tricks Trucy used to do, like her "Magical Bloomers" trick, or the Amazing Mr. Hat. He wondered if she'd ever be the same magician he always knew. He would have to worry about that later, though, because the lights began to dim again signaling the show was about to go on.

#

Trucy was already on stage, in a non-soaked outfit, but something was different. She wasn't wearing her trademark silk hat. Instead she had on what appeared to be some sort of turban with a green jewel in the front. "Thank you all for waiting," Trucy announced as happily as ever. "This next half of my show is going to be a little different than the last," The group couldn't help but feel relieved, but at the same time they wondered just what this next half would be like, "I've spent the last couple of years training to look into hearts of others, and now I have the ability reveal anyone's deepest secrets," Trucy continued dramatically.

Apollo didn't understand what she was talking about. She may have been a magician, but Trucy never even came close to being a psychic. That's when he saw it. The green jewel atop Trucy's head was Mr. Wright's magnatama! "Apollo, that thing on her head-" Athena began.

"I know," Apollo saying cutting her off. She must have just noticed it as well. To his surprise, they weren't the only ones at their table who grimaced at the sight. Edgeworth and Gumshoe both looked particularly on edge as they saw Wright's daughter go on about her paranormal abilities, "What the devil does she think she's doing," Edgeworth said outraged, "She steals her father's trinket, makes him disappear, and then uses it as a main prop for her show!"

"Is something the matter chief?" Klaiver asked particularly confused.

Edgeworth didn't know how to answer him. He turned back to Apollo and said, "Justice, I think you were right to worry about her show. Things are going to take a turn for the worst, but not how you initially thought…."


	4. Act 2

"Prepare to be amazed, as I gaze into your soul right before your eyes!" Trucy proclaimed. The audience was astonished by what they heard. Could she really be able to read people's minds, they thought. Trucy walked down from the stage and began to walk over to the group. They all began to tense up wondering who would be her first victim. She stopped in front of Ema, "You! I sense a great big secret locked away in your heart!"

"Y-you do?" Ema asked nervously.

"Yes, a secret that is haunting you night and day. It's… love isn't it? Someone you like who doesn't show any affection back?"

"W-what are you talking about? That's not true at all," Ema said, trying to dodge her gaze. Just as Trucy suspected, chains began to wrap around Ema's heart and three psyche locks appeared.

"Oh, but I think it is. In fact, I believe that the person you admire is in this very room!" Ema was shocked. How on earth did she know that, were her thoughts. Before Trucy's very eyes, the first psyche lock broke and disappeared. "Trust me. It is very bad to just keep these feelings bottled up for too long. Maybe you should try telling him how you feel? I'm sure he cares for you too and wouldn't reject your feelings."

Ema didn't know what to say. Everything Trucy said so far was one hundred percent accurate, but she couldn't admit it nor could she figure out how she knew so much. "Do you really think so?" She asked before thinking. She covered her mouth in shock as her second psyche lock broke.

"Absolutely! I've known this person for a little while now, and I'm sure he'd be happy to find out!" Trucy said, so sure of herself.

Ema just sat there, not knowing what to do. She was positive that if she didn't say something soon, Miss Blabbermouth over there would tell the whole world for her. She began to blush as she started to turn. Just as her last psyche lock broke she began to speak, "She's right. I've admired you ever since I was little, Mr. Edgeworth." The entire table, including Trucy, was completely in shock. Trucy would have guessed that the person she liked was Prosecutor Gavin despite what she always said about him. "Seeing you after studying abroad for several years was one of the happiest days of my life," she continued. "To find out that you became the next Chief Prosecutor, made me even happier. It felt like you were only one who could pick up where my sister left off, and you gave me inspiration to strive for my dreams…." It was obvious that her emotions were starting to get the best of her as tears began to form in her eyes. "When you gave me those words of encouragement back then, it felt as though I could do anything. But I… I let you down. I let my sister down. I never became a scientific investigator. I'm just a failure." Tears began to run down her face, but she tried her best to wipe them away. She needed to continue, for her own sake, "You were always so cool, how you handled witnesses in the courtroom. And I can never thank you enough for what you did for me that one time…. I-I always felt that you were always there for me…. I know that you'd never like me in _that_ way, after all I'm just a little girl in your eyes. But I had to let you know how I felt…."

All eyes turned toward Edgeworth. He listened quietly to her speech, and after collecting his thoughts, he adjusted his glasses and spoke, "Ema, I want you to know that neither I, nor your sister, nor anyone in this room have ever thought of you as a failure. Though you may not have obtained the position that you wanted, you are still one of the most capable people that I know. You have grown into quite the woman, and if your sister was here with us right now I couldn't tell you how proud she'd be of you."

"D-do you really mean that?" Ema asked cautiously.

Edgeworth smiled, "Of course. I think-"

He was cut off as Ema jumped from her seat and embraced him. "Thank you Mr. Edgeworth. Thank you," she said as she cried in his chest. Edgeworth was completely startled at first, not sure what to do. He slowly put his arms over her, hugging her back trying his best to comfort her and calm her down. Apollo sat, outraged by the whole affair. Trucy had taken things too far, he thought. He looked up and was surprised to see how sad she looked by the turn of events.

They were both brought back from their thoughts by the sudden applause from the audience, Trucy quickly returned to the stage, wanting to finish her act as quickly as possible. "Thank you all again for coming! I had a wonderful time performing for you all!" she announced as she bowed. The curtains followed shortly after as a huge applause rang out from the audience. The group just sat in silence staying where they were after everyone had already left.

"That does it! I'm giving Trucy a piece of my mind!" Athena shouted abruptly, "Who does she think she is? Toying with someone else's emotions and putting them on display for everyone to see!"

"She probably got the idea from you," Apollo countered quickly, "You reveal a witness' emotions publicly in court and by revealing their hidden emotions you try to give them therapy afterwards."

"T-that's not… This is different! I'm a certified psychologist! She just wanted this as a part of her act."

"That's what I thought at first as well, but I saw how sad Trucy felt after seeing how sad and vulnerable she made Ema," Apollo explained, "I think that she really wanted to help people the same way you have, Athena."

Athena didn't know what to say. What he said made sense, and for what it's worth, it did seem like Ema lifted a huge weight off her shoulders by confessing to Edgeworth. She looked over at the two of them. "Are you alright now?" Edgeworth asked, finally getting Ema to calm herself back down. She nodded getting up.

They stood in silence for a while, before Apollo spoke up, "Trucy is taking a really long time."

"Also, Wright still hasn't returned." Edgeworth pointed out. They all looked at each other and began to worry. That was a good point, why hadn't Phoenix returned after her act?

It was then that Athena heard something, "Shh. Do you hear that?" It was very faint at first, so faint that she was the only one who could hear it. They all became as quite as possible and tried to listen.

"Is that… knocking?" Klaiver asked.

"It's coming from the stage, pal!" Gumshoe shouted in realization. They all ran up the stairs to the stage and spread out trying to find the source of the noise.

"I think the sound is coming from underneath us." Athena said crouching down.

"Wait a second," Apollo said in apprehension. He rushed over to the spot on stage he thought it happened and ran his hand against the floor. Sure enough he was able to trace the outline of a large rectangle and after finding the crease, slid the trap door open.

Inside was an all too familiar box right just under the trap door. The lid of box flew open and Phoenix lunged upward from his crouched position. The sudden give was completely unexpected and he lost his balance, falling backwards with his feet sticking up out of the box. He was able to straighten himself out and get out of the hole. He was covered in sweat and out of breath. "Remind me… to never volunteer for another one of Trucy's tricks," he said.

They couldn't help but laugh at the sight of things, but their reunion was short lived as they heard a stage hand shout in worry, "This is bad. Where could have she gone?" "What do you mean?" they heard the other ask. "Trucy is gone! I went over to her dressing room but she wasn't there!"

"WHAT!" Apollo, Athena, and Phoenix shouted in shock. The group quickly ran back stage and up to the two stage hands. "What do you mean Trucy isn't here?!" Phoenix asked, practically in a panic.

"I'm sorry Mr. Wright, but it's true. She wasn't in her room. The only thing that I could find was this." He held out a sheet of paper, Phoenix took it and began to read, "I found it lying on her desk," the stage hand explained.

After finishing the note, Phoenix began to look ill. He handed the note to Athena and she decided to read it out loud, "Everyone, I'm really sorry for what I did. I want you all to know that I didn't ever mean to hurt anybody. I'm a terrible person, but you don't have to worry anymore. I promise, I won't bother you guys ever again. Trucy." Apollo took the note and examined it; it was clear that she had been crying when she wrote it.

Phoenix was on his cell phone trying to call her the entire time Athena read. After his third attempt of only getting her answering machine, he gave up in frustration. Edgeworth walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Wright. We'll find her."

Phoenix turned and looked at him and all the faces around him and smiled, "I know. Thanks guys."


	5. Curtain Call

None of them wasted anytime. Edgeworth quickly contacted the police department and organized a task force. After Phoenix told him all the possible places she could have gone, he, Maggey, and Gumshoe left to begin their search. Phoenix and Athena decided to quickly check back at the office to see if Trucy might have stopped by to pick up a few things before running off.

That left Apollo, Ema, and Klaiver; the three of them weren't sure where to look. As Apollo sat and thought where on Earth she could have gone, Ema paced back and forth in front him nervously, breaking his concentration. After a few minutes she stopped suddenly, "It's all my fault," she whispered.

"Hey now, don't be like that Fräulein." Klaiver said. "It-"

"What do you know about it, you glimmerous fop?!" Ema screamed.

It was obvious that she was still upset about that night. Not only was she publicly humiliated, she also felt responsible for Trucy running away. "Ema," Apollo said cautiously, "I can only guess how you feel, but you're not the only one who's thinking that way right now."

She instantly remembered what he told Athena at the end of the show, and tried her best to regain her composure, "Y-you're right Apollo. I'm sure Athena is taking this a lot harder than I am, and is still probably giving her biggest smile…. We'll find her. We'll find her and I'm going to show her that I'm just fine!" She said forcing a smile.

Apollo and Klaiver couldn't help but get their spirits raised after that, "You bet Ema!" Apollo shouted.

"Ja! We'll find that little Fräulein if we have to look in every nook and cranny!" Klaiver agreed.

"Right!" Ema joined in, "... But where do we looked? Mr. Edgeworth organized a whole search party. What more can we do that a whole team of police officers can't?" The joyful mood in the room instantly plummeted to rock bottom. After pondering for a moment Ema asked, "Apollo, you know Trucy better than either of us. Where do you think she'd be?"

"Well that's what I've been wondering this whole time. I can't really think of anywhere other than all the places Mr. Wright mentioned earlier. Sometimes Trucy would come here to the Wonder Bar when she was feeling down and practice her routine when the place was closed. She was on good terms with the manager here, and pretending to do her act in front of a huge crowd would always… take her mind…" Apollo trailed off. "THAT'S IT!" he exclaimed suddenly, "I know where she is!"

#

They arrived at their destination in no time. In their rush, however, Klaiver drove a little more erratically than usual, making Apollo determined to never ride with him in the same vehicle again. They entered the building in silence, trying to keep pace with Ema down the long hallway who was walking a considerable distance ahead of them. "Hey, Prosecutor Gavin…." Apollo said hesitantly.

"Ja, Herr Forehead?"

"It's not really all that important, but during the show, when Ema made her huge confession, I couldn't help but notice you fiddle with the ends your hair nervously…. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Tsk, nothing does get past your eye does it Herr Forehead?" Klaiver said half joking. "The truth was, when Fräulein told the chief her feelings for him… it felt like my heart ripped in two…." Apollo kept quiet waiting for him to continue, "I guess Fr-, no, Ema, is just one of the few people out there who actually sees beyond the 'glimmerous fop' all the other girls swoon for and actually sees me as a true human being."

"I think I'm missing something incredibly obvious, but why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

Klaiver looked ahead at Ema and thought about his response, "I suppose I should have… but it's too late now don't you think?" he asked with a small smile. They walked for a bit longer in silence before Klaiver asked in return, "I guess I could ask you the same question Herr Forehead."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about that young Fräulein coworker of yours," he said elbowing his side, "Why haven't you told her how you feel Herr Forehead?"

Apollo began to blush at the very thought of it. He would have to be nuts to even entertain the idea, "Me and Athena? Don't be stupid. We're just coworkers and that's it."

"Herr Forehead, my eyesight may never be as good as yours, but I'd have to be blind to know that what you just said was one huge lie."

Apollo looked away in embarrassment, "C-common I'm not lying. And besides, if - and that's a big if mind you - even if your right and I had feelings for Athena, there's NO way she feels the same about me."

Klaiver just smiled and didn't say anything at first, "That's exactly what I thought." Apollo turned to him shocked at what he heard, "And that's what I kept telling myself…" Klaiver continued looking down, "And now it's too late…." He turned back toward Apollo, "Don't make the same mistake I made Herr Forehead."

Apollo couldn't help but think about what he said as they walked, but it wasn't much longer until they reached the end of the hallway. The opened the door and found themselves on the Sunshine Coliseum's stage. Sure enough, standing at center stage was Trucy, staring out at the countless number of seats in front of her, "Trucy!" Apollo shouted as the three of them ran up to her.

"Polly?!" Trucy said in utter shock, "How did you know I was here?"

"Well, you always like to go to the Wonder Bar when you're in a bad mood. Obviously you couldn't go there since, well, that's where you ran away from. And then there's the fact that it's been your dream to put a show on this stage."

"Well… you shouldn't have come here. I don't deserve to come back after what I did."

"Trucy," Ema said, "What you did back there really put me through a rough time, but it all worked out in the end!" She said smiling, "I know you were only trying to help, and I'd feel horrible if you left because of me."

"No one wants you to leave, Trucy." Apollo added.

"Ja, Fräulein. Who else can give such an entertaining show such as yours, right Herr Forehead?" Apollo's face showed that his role in Trucy's show was probably one of the few things he wouldn't mind forgetting anytime soon.

"Not to mention if you left, you'd turn your daddy into a worried wreck," they heard call out from behind. They all turned to see Phoenix and Athena enter from stage right.

"Daddy, Athena! How did _you_ guys figure out where I was?" Trucy asked in surprise.

"Apollo called us," Athena answered, "It made perfect sense when he explained it all."

"Yeah, Apollo. I'm really impressed," Ema commented.

"Ja, Herr Forehead. If it weren't for you, who knows where Trucy might have ran off to."

"Ah, it was nothing," Apollo said as he ran his hand through his hair, soaking up all the praise. But he couldn't quite help that he was forgetting something.

A split second later, 20 members of S.W.A.T. busted through the windows at the ceiling, propelling themselves downward at an almost surreal speed as 30 more swarmed in from all entrances guns drawn. "EVERYONE FREEZE!" one of them shouted.

"Oh, _that's_ what I was forgetting!" Apollo exclaimed in realization, "Prosecutor Edgeworth's group was the only one I didn't think to call," Apollo explained with a hollow laugh…. No one else joined in.

"A-POLL-O!" Athena said gritting her teeth. At that moment, Apollo was glad that the S.W.A.T. team was there, because they were they only thing keeping him alive from Athena's wrath… but then again, he wasn't entirely sure if the 50 plus armed officers were even enough to subdue her….

#

"You know, I think you guys kind of overreacted just a tad," Apollo shouted from the bathroom scrub brush in hand.

"Sure Apollo, because we just loved being swarmed by the police. It's just what we _live _for!" Athena countered.

"Well, you still didn't have to put me in a sleeper hold AFTER performing a suplex on me!... I personally think three straight weeks of cleaning Mr. Wright's toilet was more than enough punishment." Apollo said with a heavy sigh.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Trucy said, running to answer it, "Oh, hello."

On the other side was a man they've never seen before. His hair was slick back just like Phoenix, but he had a very deep tan, and wore a really gaudy shirt with a tiger on it. "Which one of youse guys is Trucy Wright," he spat lifting up his shades.

"Um, I'm Trucy Wright. How can I help you?"

"Well, you see. I'm with the Sunshine Coliseum. I just so happen to have witnessed your show the other night, and was wondering if you might be interested in doing a little performance at our humble venue."

"Me? Perform at the Sunshine Coliseum?" Trucy asked in complete surprise. So he must have been that scout that Mr. Wright alluded to earlier, Athena and Apollo thought to themselves. "I-I really appreciate the offer, but I'm not ready yet." Everyone including the mystery man was in complete surprise, "But you don't have to worry! If you thought that last act was good, wait until you see me when I perfect it. It'll be the best magic show of all time!" She announced.

The man was speechless. It was obvious he was a little upset about being turned down, but the prospect of an even more spectacular performance seemed to make up for it, "Sure, sure. I have no doubts that it'll be as amazing as you say, based on how good you was in your last show. Here, take my card. When you're ready to make some magic happen, you just give me a call."

She looked down at it, 'Don Tigre, Sunshine Management,' "Alright Mr. Tigre, I'll be sure to do just that!" she said with a tip of her hat. And with that the man left.

It wasn't long after they heard someone erupt in laughter down the hallway, and Ema, Klaiver, Phoenix, and Edgeworth all entered the office. Klaiver couldn't stop laughing and Edgeworth just looked down avoiding all of their gazes. "I cannot… believe that, you would actually dress up as the Steel Samurai, chief!" Klaiver tried to say through his nonstop laughter, "Oh, I can't wait to tell Simon this one."

"And I can't wait to tell Detective Gumshoe," Ema laughed along.

"Hmph. Laugh while you can. I care not." Edgeworth said shrugging it off.

"Hey, do you guys want all the pictures I took of Edgeworth that day?" Phoenix asked taking out his phone.

Edgeworth's head snapped toward him in the blink of an eye out of pure shock, "Y-you actually took pictures?!"

"Of course, we lawyers always collect evidence of important incidents." He said as Klaiver and Ema crowded around him.

Trucy looked around, happy that things returned to the way were. Athena returned to her desk, and Apollo returned to his cleaning duties. However, he couldn't help but think of Prosecutor Gavin's advice as he found himself glancing out of the bathroom every couple of seconds….

End

(Author's Note: Congratulations, you've reached the end! Good job for putting up with my crappy writing for so long. But seriously, I hoped you liked it. I kind of consider this as my first "real" Ace Attorney fan fic. To anyone who cared enough to read this as soon as it was updated it… sorry for taking so long with the updates. Been busy with my LSAT test prep class, so there's that. The story went the way I planned, but I didn't expect it to be so long so apologies if it felt as though it dragged on in places….. Uh, sorry if characters don't feel right or for sucking in general I guess. But if by a strange stroke of luck you actually enjoyed it, thanks! I won't be writing for a while since I'm actually focusing on an Ace Attorney _game_ I'm working on. Yes, I actually finished the first case already and am currently working on the sprites and stuff. Want to get this first case together just to give people something to show. So let me know if anyone's interested… I guess that's it. Until next time! *gets on magical hippo and flies away*)


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